By Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – Chin Chin Hall
has been going well for almost four months now, and the 5-year-old gelded son
of Cash Hall-Canland Hall brought his ‘A’ game once again Friday night in the
featured $42,000 Preferred Handicap for trotters at The Meadowlands,
registering his fifth win in his last 11 starts while facing some of the best
trotters in the game, both overnight and stakes caliber.
Some of the winners in the six races
he has lost during the last third of 2021 include Forbidden Trade, When
Dovescry and Ecurie D DK. Chin Chin Hall held his own every time except once,
when he left from the second tier. This year at The Big M, he’s won eight-of-21
outings.
“He’s been racing great week in and
week out,” said Dexter Dunn, who drove the Nifty Norman trainee for a second
straight start. “He really tied me up tonight. I just had to sit there and let
him do the work.”
Chin Chin Hall backed off to fifth
early after four horses were away from the gate quickly in the seven-horse
field. JL Cruze made the lead at the quarter in :27.1 but yielded the point to
even-money favorite Dunbar Hall – who was looking for his fourth win in his
last five starts – in a leisurely half of :56.1.
Dunn, recently named the United
States Harness Writers Association’s Driver of the Year for a third consecutive
season, moved ‘Chin Chin’ out of the five-hole just after the half and made his
way toward the leaders. “We got away fifth, which was handy enough,” said Dunn.
Dunbar Hall still had the lead at
three-quarters (1:24.1) but that edge was tenuous given how well Chin Chin Hall
was gobbling up ground while in high gear traveling first-over. Dunbar Hall won
a week ago on the front end but couldn’t hack it on the lead for a second
straight week, running out of steam through the lane.
Chin Chin Hall surged to command
mid-stretch and went on to an easy 1-length score in 1:52. Get Legs finished
second with JL Cruze third.
Owned by Oldford Racing LLC and David
McDuffee, Chin Chin Hall returned $4.60 to his backers as the 6-5 second choice
and upped his lifetime stats to 15 wins from 51 starts, good for earnings of
$821,835.
Talk about a horse who has the right
connections. He was driven by the Driver of the Year, trained by the Trainer of
the Year and owned by the Owner of the Year (McDuffee).
“It’s awesome really,” said Dunn of
the trophy-winning natural hat trick. “I’m pretty lucky really, driving for
great owners and trainers. It makes my job easy.”
A LITTLE MORE: A modest carryover of just over
$7,600 led to a total pool of $55,626 in the 20-cent Pick-6, and despite a
sequence where the two ‘longshots’ went off at 7-2 and 3-1, respectively, those
who correctly selected all six winners cashed in for $813.10. … Dunn paced the
driver’s colony with four victories. … Corey Callahan had a driving triple. …
All-source handle totaled $2,408,689. … Racing resumes Saturday at 6:20 p.m.
with the next-to-last live race card of the year. The final live program of
2021 takes place on Friday, Dec. 31. … The Meadowlands has no racing on Dec. 24
and 25.
